A skunk, by any other name...

It was the star-crossed lover Romeo who opined

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

I chose that reference to reflect the game below, which contains a mis-named line, as well as a choice of moves by me that has the aroma more of a polecat than a fragrant flower...

perrypawnpusher - igormsp
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+

I checked, and this line is given the name the "Young variation" in the Nomenclature that Bill Wall put together for this blog, after Jack Young, the amazing opening inventor of "Bozo's Chess Emporium" fame.

I think I may have misled Bill in the information that I gave him about the line. Young actually faced the move at the "hands" of the Chess Challenger 10 computer in 1979. That might make it look like the "Challenger Variation," but I think that the name more likely should be the "Norton Variation", after the early Jerome Gambit game Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 42).

My error.

However, the move, itself, is not an error. In fact, it is a great way to set a complacent Jerome Gambit player back on his heels.

9.Kf1

While playing the game, I remembered that the main line goes 9.gxf3 Qh4+ 10.Kd1 Qf2 and that I had quickly reached a drawn position in my game against Sir Osis of the Liver in our 2008 ChessWorld game (winning, when he over-reached).

I didn't remember much more.

More critical was 10...Ne7, from the game perrypawnpusher - sjeijk, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 19) but I was a little fuzzy on the details there, too.

So, hoping to "surprise" my apparently prepared opponent, I opted for Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's choice of moves against D. P. Norton.

Bad idea: the strategy, and the choice of moves.

9...Kc6

Okay.

There are many reasons that the Jerome Gambit will not be mistaken for, say, the Ruy Lopez, starting with the fact that most of the first 10 moves in the Spanish Game have already been mapped out.

My opponent took enough time in choosing his move for me to believe that I had surprised him. His choice, to leave his Knight en prise and tip-toe his King away from the center, is enough for a draw, similar to the Sir Osis game.

10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb3+ Kc6 12.Qxf3

I could have split the point with 12.Qd5+, etc, but I thought that I would see if I could further confuse my opponent. I was betting on my "Jerome pawns" versus his extra piece, but my poor development seriously hampered my attacking possibilities and actually gave Black the better game.

After the game, Rybka 3 suggested that 12.Nc3 a6 13.d4 was the way for White to fight for a possible, slight, edge. Wow.

12...Qf6

I am sure that the poor Queen has been dying to move since Black played 8...Nf3+ instead of 8...Qh4+. Now, however, it will just be dying.

13.e5+ Black resigned

(See, I wasn't being "modest" when I referred to my recent "lucky wins" in "Three Years Running".)

Vortex

Not long ago I considered posting on an unusual and infrequently-played defense to the Jerome Gambit that quickly tosses the game into a vortex of unclear play.

Then, the other day, an opponent played it against me.

perrypawnpusher - sjeijk
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

In my experience this move is played either by a novice who doesn't know the Jerome Gambit and who thinks only about hanging onto his extra material (something the gambiteer can cheer); or by someone who is familiar with the Jerome Gambit and who has planned a particular defense (something the gambiteer can be wary of).

Which is it in this case?

7.Qf5+

Let's find out!

7...Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+

Wow!

The American Chess Journal of September, 1876 noted "A new departure... 8...Qf6 is the usual play."

It then added laconically "The text move prevents White from castling." Returning a piece is certainly one way to accomplish that goal.

9.gxf3

In what might be the original game for this variation, Alonzo Wheeler Jerome played  the outrageous 9.Kf1!? in an 1876 correspondence game against D.P. Norton and lost in 42 moves. The move, the line, the game all deserve a post or two themselves, especially since the American Chess Journal suggested that the alternative "9.Kd1 seems better".

D.P. Norton, by the way, also in 1876, played what I refer to as "Whistler's Defense" in another game against Jerome: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 Qe7!. White was fortunate to draw the game.

Since Lt. G. N. Whistler played a number of correspondence games with that defense against Jerome in 1876, I have given his name priority for the line. 

9... Qh4+ 10.Kd1

White can capture the offered Knight, on move 9 (in fact, he should) but he is going to be falling down a vortex of unclear play, right along with his opponent...

At this point 10.Kf1 leads to immediate checkmate and 10.Ke2 leads to great torment after 10...Qf2+11.Kd3 Qxf3+ 12.Kc4 b5+ 13.Kxb5

analysis diagram








Here the exciting game gibonacci - jschulte, GameKnot.com, 2007 continued 13...a6+ (Stronger was 13...Rb8+ 14.Ka5 Ne7) 14.Kc4 Nf6 (the tricky 14...Bf2 was necessary to avoid a draw, or, in the case of this game, a loss for Black) 15.Qxc5+ Ke6 16.Re1 Qxf4 and White had consolidated his position, although it took him until move 48 to reel in the win. Bravo!

10... Ne7

The American Chess Journal suggested 10...Qf2 concluding "and Black has the better position." This was proven to be incorrect in the game perrypawnpusher - Sir Osis of the Liver, JG thematic, ChessWorld, 2008 where White demonstrated a draw by repetition, but Black, trying to avoid that, allowed himself to be checkmated.

11.e5+

Tempting, but wrong.

White's best chance is 11.Qe5+ Kc6 12.b4!? when White can probably eke out a draw, whether or not the pawn is captured, but the play is very difficult.

That is a fair assessment of this Norton variation: a very complicated game, but a draw, with a lot of hard work by White.

Is that a better choice than some of the known refutations of the Jerome Gambit? That all depends on the kind of game that the defender is most comfortable with.

11...Kc6 12.Qe4+ Nd5

Here is Black's slip.

Instead, 12...d5 13.exd6+ Kxd6 allows Black's light-squared Bishop to aid in the defense, and gives Black's King an addition route to escape, if he needs it, through the d7 square.

An up-and-down game, eventually won by White, followed 12...Kb6 13.Nc3 d6 14.Na4+ Kb5 15.d4 Bf5 16.Qxb7+ Kxa4 17.Qa6+ Kb4 18.a3 checkmate, CFBBlind - Quandary, FICS, 2001.

13.Nc3 Qxf4

Not best, but the game is lost, anyway, after alternatives.

14.Qxd5+ Kb6 15.Qb3+ Kc6

White now has a mate-in-one, but I was nervous enough to miss it the first time.

16.Qd5+ Kb6 17.Qb3+ Bb4

At this point my opponent saw 17... Kc6 18. Qb5 checkmate, and varied, losing his Queen.

18.Nd5+ Kb5 19.Nxf4 Black resigned

An unfortunate end for an opponent who really seems to have prepared for the Jerome Gambit!

Interestingly enough, I cannot find sjeijk's name in The Database, either with the White pieces or the Black pieces.

Between the Refutation and the Resignation...Part 1

I've mentioned the discussion going on at Chess.com about the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+). Some find it to be an interesting opening, some find it to be a poor one.

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde (and Chess.com) member Bill Wall has been positive about possible uses of the gambit ("it's the type of opening I like in blitz chess and I have had fun and success with it. My success this year has been 18 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss").

Chess.com Kacparov has been more skeptical ("The Jerome gambit can be easily refuted."). 

Both are relatively strong club players, and I'd like to present a Jerome Gambit game by each.

Wall - Rajiv

Chess.com, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Qh4

The Nibs Variation, which received a serious look in the series "Repairing a Variation (Part 1)", "(Part 2)", "(Part 3)" and "(Part 4)". It is a wild, but dangerous, refutation.

Between the refutation and the resignation, however, the chess gods have placed the middle game (and sometimes the endgame).

7.0-0 Ng4

This is the traditional move, although Wall has also met 7...Qxe4, recommended by Rybka: 7...Qxe4 8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qc6 10.Re1 d6 11.cxd6 Qxd6 12.Bf4 Nf3+ 13.Qxf3 Qb6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxc7+ Qf6 16.Qxd5+ Be6 17.Qxb7 Rhe8 18.Bd8+ Black resigned, Wall - Gorodetsky, Chess.com, 2010 

8.h3 Bb6

9.hxg4

Less successful was 9.Qf3+ N4f6 10.e5 Bxd4 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.c3 Bb6 13.Nd2 Rf8 14.Ne4 Qxe4 15.Qd1 d5 16.Re1 Qf5 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 Bd7 19.Rf3 Qe5 20.Qd2 Rae8 21.Re3 Qd6 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.b3 Qe5 24.Rf1 Bc6 25.Kh1 Qe2 26.Qc1 d4 27.cxd4 Qe4 28.d5 Qxd5 29.f3 Kg8 30.Rd1 Qe6 31.Qf4 Nd5 32.Qd4 Ne3 33.Rc1 Bxf3 34.Kg1 Nxg2 35.Rxc7 Qe3+ 36.Qxe3 Nxe3 37.Kf2 Bc6 38.b4 Nd5 White resigned, Sir Osis of the Liver - perrypawnpusher, JG3 thematic, Chessworld.net, 2008.

9...d6 10.f3 Be6

11.Be3 Bc4 12.Re1 Ne7

13.f4

The "Jerome pawns".

13...Rhe8 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Nf3 Qg3

16.a4 Ba5 17.c3 Kf8 18.b4 Ng6

19.f5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Qc2 c5

White seems to be holding on remarkably well, given that his opening has been refuted.

22.bxa5 Qxg4

I asked for Rybka's input on how the game was going, and I received it in a series of evaluations that looked like increasing pressure readings in a boiler that is about to blow up. Here White was rated 2.04 pawns ahead.

23.Rad1 cxd4

2.61 pawns 

24.Rxd4 Qg3 25.Qb3 Qf4

3.67 pawns

26.Qb1 Qg3

5.04 pawns

27.e5 g6

8.72 pawns.

28.Rxd6 Re7

12.28 pawns

29.f6 Ree8

From this position White can see mate. 

30.Qb4 Bb5 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.e6+ Kxf6 33.Qd4+ Black resigned

Final: JGTourney4 ChessWorld 2009

JGTourney4 ChessWorld 2009

----------------------1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-10-11-12-13-14-15

1 Piratepaul --------** 01 10 11 11 10 11 01 11 11 01 11 11 10 11 -22.0/28
2 stampyshortlegs ---10 ** 11 01 01 11 01 10 10 1½ 11 11 11 10 11 -20.5/28
3 Sir Osis ----------01 00 ** 00 11 11 11 11 11 00 01 11 01 11 11 -19.0/28
4 DREWBEAR63---------00 10 11 ** 11 01 01 01 00 00 11 11 01 11 11 -17.0/28
5 GladtoMateYou------00 10 00 00 ** 01 01 01 11 01 11 11 11 11 11 -17.0/28
6 Luke Warm ---------01 00 00 10 10 ** 10 01 ½1 11 01 01 ½1 11 01 -15.0/28
7 Haroldlee123-------00 10 00 10 10 01 ** 11 11 00 0½ ½0 11 11 11 -15.0/28
8 eddie43------------10 01 00 10 10 10 00 ** 11 1½ 10 00 01 11 11 -14.5/28
9 TWODOGS------------00 01 00 11 00 ½0 00 00 ** ½1 11 11 01 11 11 -14.0/28
10 Black Puma--------00 0½ 11 11 10 00 11 0½ ½0 ** 01 00 01 01 11 -13.5/28
11 blackburne--------10 00 10 00 00 10 1½ 01 00 10 ** 11 11 01 11 -13.5/28
12 gwyn1-------------00 00 00 00 00 10 ½1 11 00 11 00 ** 01 00 11 -9.5/28
13 metalwarrior1969--00 00 10 10 00 ½0 00 10 10 10 00 10 ** 01 11 -9.5/28
14 Crusader Rabbit---01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 10 11 10 ** 00 -7.0/28
15 calchess10--------00 00 00 00 00 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 11 ** -3.0/28

Prized Players

Prizes have been mailed to the top three finishers of the Chessworld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament: Piratepaul, stampyshortlegs and Sir Osis of the Liver.

I would like to express my thanks to blackburne, who hosted the tournament, and to all of the other players who combined to produce 210 interesting Jerome Gambit games: DREWBEAR 63, GladtoMateYou, Luke Warm, Haroldlee123, eddie43, TWODOGS, Black Puma, gwyn1, metalwarrior1969, Crusader Rabbit and calchess10.

To the winners go the awards

As mentioned in yesterday's post it is possible to identify the three top finishers in the soon-to-be-completed (one game unfinished) ChessWorld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament:

1st Place: Piratepaul
2nd Place: stampyshortlegs
3rd Place: Sir Osis of the Liver

Congratulations, all!

The tournament, sponsored by blackburne, has light-hearted prizes (sponsored by jeromegambit.blogspot.com) for the first three finishers. For Piratepaul, in case he wants to expand his attacking openings, there is An Opening Repertoire for the Attacking Player by Raymond Keene and David Levy. For stampyshortlegs, who showed skill in playing the offbeat Jerome Gambit, there is Baroque Chess Openings by Richard Wincor – containing a whole new set off unorthodox openings. For Sir Osis of the Liver, there is The Basis of Combination in Chess by Julius Du Mont, so that he can continue his tactical ways.

All three are asked to contact me (richardfkennedy@hotmail.com) to provide mailing addresses.

And the winner is...

With two games left to be played in the ChessWorld Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Chess Tournament, it appears that Piratepaul will take top honors, with 22 points out of 28 games (a winning percentage of 79%).

Second place stampyshortlegs has one game not yet completed, but with 20.5 points out of 27 games, even a win in that final encounter would give him only 21.5 points, .5 points behind Piratepaul.

Third place belongs to Sir Osis of the Liver, with 19 out of 28 points.

Stampyshortlegs leads the number of points from the Jerome Gambit with 9.5, followed by Piratepaul and Sir Osis of the Liver with 9.0

Fifteen Games to Go: Much Unsettled

With only 15 of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld left to be completed, the Jerome Gambit has scored an almost-credible 39%.

The tournament leader Piratepaul (20 points out of 25 games completed) has 9 points from the Jerome. Second place is held by Sir Osis of the Liver (19 points out of 28 games completed), who has 8 points from the Gambit.

stampyshortlegs (18.5 points out of 24 games) is in third place, with 8.5 points from the Jerome Gambit .

Fourth place is occupied by DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games, 7 JG points); fifth by GladtoMateYou (16 points out of 27 games, 8 JG points); and sixth by LukeWarm (15 points out of 28 games, 3 JG points).

Nearing the Final Turn

With 86% (180 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, the Jerome Gambit has kept steady, scoring 37%.

Piratepaul (19 points out of 24 games completed) remains the player to beat. Second place is held by Sir Osis of the Liver (17 points out of 26 games completed) and DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games).

Fourth place is occupied by GladtoMateYou (15 points out of 25 games), while fifth place is held by the surging stampyshortlegs (14 points out of 19 games).

Three players are tied for sixth: LukeWarm (13.5 points out of 25 games), eddie43 (13.5 points out of 26 games) and blackburne (13.5 points out of 27 games).

While Piratepaul holds the top winning percentage of 79%, the second highest remains a threat: stampyshortlegs, 74%; and 9 games yet undecided.

Race to the Finish

With 80% (169 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, the Jerome Gambit has scored 37%.

Piratepaul (19 points out of 23 games completed) maintains his lead. DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 28 games), who had been first throughout most of the play, was the first to complete his games; and shares second place with Sir Osis of the Liver (17 points out of 26 games completed).

Sitting behind them are GladtoMateYou (14 points out of 24 games), then blackburne and eddie43 (13.5 points out of 26 games), and stampyshortlegs (13 points out of 17 games).

Only one player, because of the number of games he has yet to complete, has a statistical chance of topping Piratepaul's (current) 19 points: stampyshortlegs (maximum score possible - 24).

From a practical point of view, it looks like it will be a race between Piratepaul (maximum score possible - 24) and stampyshortlegs for top honors.

Harried

The (in)famous historical Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) game, Amateur - Blackburne, London 1885 featured a harried White Queen that captured one Rook on a diagonal and another by sliding across a rank – only to watch her King be checkmated across the board.


The following game, from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic Tournament, features two of the top players and highlights a harried Black Queen shuttling forward and back, until her own demise.

stampyshortlegs - Sir Osis of the Liver
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7


5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Qxe5 d6

White reaches an interesting position, historically. Here "Amateur" played 8.Qxh8 and after 8...Qh4 9.0-0 Nf6 10.c3 he was crushed by Blackburne: 10...Ng4 11.h3 Bxf2+ 12.Kh1 Bf5 13.Qxa8 Qxh3+ 14.gxh3 Bxe4 checkmate.
At that time, 10.Qd8 was suggested by J.B. and E.M. Munoz, giving White the better game; although, almost 120 years later, Chandler and Dimitrov showed that Black could hold the draw.

Throughout this tournament stampyshortlegs has shown a good understanding of the Jerome Gambit. Will he "fall into" and become a victim of Blackburne's "trap" – will he grab the Rook and ask his Queen to fight her way out, "risking" a draw in the process – or has he come up with an improvement, himself?

8.Qd5+

There's a pawn to be taken.

8...Be6

Fritz8 preferred 8...Kg7 9.d4 Nf6 10.Qc4 Bb6 11.Nc3 Re8 12.f3 d5 13.Qd3 dxe4 14.fxe4 Qxd4 15.Qxd4 Bxd4 16.Bd2 Bg4 17.h3 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Rxe4+ 19.Kf1 Rf8+ White Resigned, RevvedUp - Fritz 8, blitz 2 12, 2006.

9.Qxb7
White has three pawns for his piece, but with Black's King not under attack, and with White's pieces not developed, the position has to be judged better for the second player. As in most Jerome Gambit games, however, the player who is more comfortable and creative with the advantages at hand will be successful.9...Rc8 10.Nc3 Qf6 11.f3 Bb6 12.Nd5 Qh4+
Sir Osis sees his opponent's King as vulnerable, and assigns his Queen to harass it.

13.g3 Qh3 14.Nf4 Qh6
An inglorious retreat.

15.Nxe6 Ne7 16.d3 Qh3 Dodging the attack of the Bishop, but the return to this square is even more dangerous than the first visit.

17.Ng5+ Kg7 18.Nxh3

Black fights gamely for another 20 moves, but the point is already decided.

18...Rb8 19.Qa6 Nc6 20.Qc4 Ne5 21.Qe6 Rbe8 22.Qb3 Nxf3+ 23.Kd1 Rhf8 24.Bf4 Nd4 25.Qc3 h6 26.Be3 c5 27.b4 Rf3 28.Bxd4+ cxd4 29.Qc6 Ref8 30.Qxd6 Rf1+ 31.Ke2 R1f6 32.Qe5 Kh7 33.Rhf1 R6f7 34.Rxf7+ Rxf7 35.Rf1 Rc7 36.Kd2 Rg7 37.Qe6 h5 38.Rf7 Kg8 39.Ng5 Black resigned

Tournament Update

With almost three-fourths (156 out of 210) of the games in the 15-player, double-round robin Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) Thematic Tournament at ChessWorld completed, the Jerome Gambit has scored 36%.

Piratepaul (17 points out of 20 games) and DREWBEAR 63 (17 points out of 27 games) lead, followed by Sir Osis of the Liver (16 points out of 25 games completed).

The next pack is headed by blackburne (13.5 points out of 26 games), followed closely by eddie43 (12.5 points out of 25 games), GladtoMateU (12 points out of 22 games) and Black Puma (12 points out of 26 games).

Those players with with the best winning percentage (85%) are stampyshortlegs (a formidable 11 points out of 13 games) and Piratepaul.

Beware: The Sneak!

Black's biggest dangers in playing against the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) are overconfidence, a dismissive attitude and inattention. If any of these plague the second player in the early moves of the game, an otherwise blatant maneuver called The Sneak might arise.

In its starkest form, The Sneak looks like this:

I know what you're thinking: nobody would fall for that, letting the Bishop get trapped.

It is true, not everybody does fall for it. Here are some warnings, though:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.d3 Nc6 5.c3 Bc5 6.a4 d6 7.Nf3 Ng4 8.0-0 Rf8 9.b4 Bxf2+ 10.Rxf2 Nxf2 11.Kxf2, Viejoasquerosos - BigJase, redhotpawn, 2006 (1-0, 40)

2...Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7

4...Kf8 5.Bxg8 Rxg8 6.c3 Qf6 7.d3 d6 8.a4 Ke8 9.Bg5 Qg6 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Qe6 12.Bd2 Bd7 13.b4 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2, SIRMO - AAlekhine, chessworld, 2007 (1-0, 47)

5.d3

5.c3 d6 ( 5...Nf6 6.d3 h6 7.0-0 g5 8.Qb3+ Ke8 9.Kh1 g4 10.Ng1 h5 11.Bg5 Rh7 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Qg8+ Qf8 14.Qxh7 g3 15.Qg6+ Qf7 16.Qxg3 d6 17.a4 Be6 18.b4 Nxb4 19.cxb4 Bxb4 Piratepaul - DREWBEAR 63, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 26)) 6.d3 Nf6 ( 6...Bg4 7.Ng5+ Kf8 8.Qxg4 Qe7 9.Ne6+ Ke8 10.Nxg7+ Kf7 11.Nf5 Qf6 12.Bg5 Qe6 13.a4 Nf6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.b4 Bb6 16.a5 Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2, Piratepaul - metalwarrior1969, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 36)) 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Bg6 10.Nbd2 h6 11.Bh4 Qd7 12.a4 h5 13.b4 Bxf2+ 14.Bxf2, Piratepaul - blackburne, chessworld, 2008 (0-1, 22);

5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3 Rf8 7.Nc3 Kg8 8.Ne2 d6 9.a4 Be6 10.c3 h6 11.b4 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Ng4 13.Rf1 Black Puma - Sir Osis of the Liver, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0,35)

5...Nf6

[ 5...h6 6.c3 ( 6.0-0 g5 7.h3 Nf6 8.a4 d6 9.c3 g4 10.hxg4 Bxg4 11.b4 Bxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Black Puma - DREWBEAR 63, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 21)) 6...d6 7.0-0 ( 7.a4 Bg4 ( 7...Qf6 8.b4 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2, SIRMO - Ratscales, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 36)) 8.b4 Bxf3 9.Qxf3+ Qf6 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.bxc5 dxc5, braken - willitfw, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 51)) 7...Nf6 8.a4 Na5 ( 8...Bg4 9.b4 Nxb4 ( 9...Bxb4 10.cxb4, Piratepaul - calchess10, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (1-0, 44)) 10.cxb4 Bd4 11.Ra2 a6 ( 11...Nh5 Piratepaul - TWODOGS, JGTourney4, ChessWorld 2009 (1-0, 32)) 12.Nbd2 Nh5, Piratepaul - eddie43, chessworld, 2008 (0-1, 56)) 9.b4 Bb6 10.bxa5 Bxa5, braken - eddie43, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 23)

6.Bg5

6.a4 Rf8 7.c3 d6 8.0-0 Kg8 9.Ng5 ( 9.b4 Nxb4 10.cxb4 Bxb4 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Qxb4 0-1 Black Puma - stampyshortlegs, JGTourney4, ChessWorld, 2009 (0-1, 24)) 9...Bg4 10.Qe1 Nh5 11.h3 Bxh3 12.Nxh3 Ng3 13.b4 Nxb4 14.cxb4 Bd4 15.Ra2 Nxf1 16.Kxf1, SIRMO - manago, chessworld, 2008 (1-0, 18)

6...Rf8 7.0-0 Kg8 8.c3 Qe8 9.Kh1 d6 10.a4 Bg4 11.b4 Qh5 12.Bd2 d5 13.bxc5 dxe4 14.dxe4 Nxe4 Piratepaul - delboy138, chessworld, 2008 (1-0,17)

Tactics, Tactics, Tactics

It is not likely that Richard Teichmann, who opined that chess was "99% tactics" ever played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), but what he said was especially true about such a dodgy opening: by and large the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde lives by the tactic, and dies by the tactic...

Here are three examples from the current Chessworld Jerome Gambit Thematic tournament.

Luke Warm - DREWBEAR 63
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

Both players have attacks against their enemy King - enough so to keep the game even. Straying from this theme becomes instantly deadly.

22.Rh4 Qxf3 23.Qd2 Ref7 24.a3 Qxd5 25.Qh2 Rf1+ White resigned

Black Puma - Sir Osis of the Liver
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009

This game has been a hammer and tongs affair so far, but seems to have resulted in a balanced, Bishops-of-Opposite-Colors endgame, with a draw in sight. It will take some care, as each side still has a Rook, but the point should soon be split.

34.Be5 g6 35.Rh2+ Black resigned, as he will lose a Rook after 35...Kg8 36.Rh8+





stampyshortlegs - calchess10
JGTourney4 ChessWorld, 2009
Here is a messy, if balanced, game. Maybe White should consider 26.Qe2, and after 26...Nxe4 he can get a draw with 27.Qa6+ Kd7 28.Qb5+ etc?


26.Qe2 Nfd7 27.Qa6+ Kb8 28.Ba7+ Ka8 29.Bb6+ Kb8 30.Qa7+ Kc8 31.Qxc7 checkmate